Mass Effect: Hollows
by Rougeification
Summary: SYOC! Detective Inspector Aiden McKniel struggles to cope with the intense and adrenline-inducing lifestyle that comes with his noir-esque job on Omega. However, one night when a dead girl turns up on the streets, he knows something is different... there's more to this death than he thought. But, can he survive cynical detectives, murderous assassins and death-defying car chases?
1. Hollows

**So, I want to thank you guys for reading this little bit - I am accepting about 6 characters. Every chapter will be fairly long after this one, and I need these characters to be fairly well-made and thought out with a good level of detail.**

**Now, I'm not going to put a deadline on character submission, I'll just announce it when I've got enough characters. Just know that I am aiming for this this to be the most exciting and entertaining Cop-Crime-Detective-Investigation-Mass-Effect syoc on the site. (Note: I prefer them to be human)**

**If you want to be a part of it, PM me (only PM me mind you) your character - the form is on my profile.**

**Anyway - send in your OC's now!**

**Hollows**

_Date: Tuesday 11th April, 2188_

_Location: Omega, Sahrabarik, Omega Nebula_

_Good morning! This is your automated news update. Today marks the second annual __Shepard's Day__._

_Shepard's Day is so named after the first human __Spectre__, __John Shepard__, who was born on April 11th, __2154__. Although Shepard was officially detected as a __biotic__ and fitted with __L3 implants__ in __2171__, he only joined the military a year later on __Earth__, __Sol__, two years after a lengthy life as a __colonist__ on __Mindoir__, the only survivor after the __Batarian Raids__ in __2170__, Commander Shepard repelled the __Batarian__-funded pirates and criminals in a surprise attack (now known as the __Skyllian Blitz__) on the __human colony__ of __Elysium__ in __2176__. Shepard was awarded with commendations, medals and promotions as a recognized war hero throughout the __Alliance__._

_Shepard's career continued, but his bloody past on Mindoir seemed to haunt him, as his unit of 50 __Alliance Marines__ were wiped out on __Akuze__ by __Thresher Maws__ during a reconnaissance mission in __2177__ to find a missing colonial pioneer team. Shepard, however, survived the attack and lived to tell the tale, earning the rank of Commander and a fearsome reputation as he was once more the '__Sole Survivor__'. However, this famous title was soon to be replaced by one far bloodier and ruthless._

_In __2178__, the year following the incident on Akuze, Commander John Shepard was transported to the moon of __Torfan__, where the Alliance was preparing to launch a major offensive in retaliation for the Skyllian Blitz. Because of Shepard's military history, he was seen to lead the attack, destroying the criminal bases which were mostly populated by Batarians. Shepard's ruthless tactics and controversial strategies were suggested to have been caused by the trauma of Akuze, and losing so many friends, but regardless, he led the forces on Torfan to victory - the massacre making him known throughout the galaxy as the __Butcher of Torfan__._

_Five years after the events on Torfan, in 2183, the human colony of __Eden Prime__ was attacked by the __Geth__, initiating a wider conflict between humans and Geth known as the __Eden Prime War__. After exposing the involvement of rogue Spectre __Saren Arterius__ in the attack, Commander Shepard and the crew of the __SSV Normandy__ pursued Saren in his search for __the Conduit__, later revealed to be part of a larger plan orchestrated by the __Reaper__Sovereign__ to return its kind to the galaxy. As Shepard followed Saren through the legendary __Mu Relay__ to the Conduit, Sovereign and a Geth fleet assault __the Citadel__. Shepard defeated Saren as the __Alliance Navy__ destroyed Sovereign, preventing the release of the Reapers. The __Citadel Council__ was irrevocably changed by Shepard's decisions._

_One month after the __Battle of the Citadel__, the SSV Normandy was attacked and destroyed by an unidentified assailant, resulting in the death of Commander Shepard. Later, the __Systems Alliance__ officially declared Shepard "killed in action"._

_Commander Shepard's body was soon recovered by __Blue Suns__ mercenaries for the __Shadow Broker__, who was been hired by the __Collectors__. __Cerberus__ eventually obtained the body with the help of __Liara T'soni__ and began work on the __Lazarus Project__._

_Commander Shepard was revived and tasked by the '__Illusive Man__' to investigate the mysterious disappearances of entire human colonies in the __Terminus Systems__. Investigation of the attacked colony of __Freedom's Progress__ revealed the enigmatic Collectors from beyond the __Omega 4 Relay__ to be responsible for the disappearances. After assembling a capable team, Commander Shepard used a captured Reaper __IFF__ to safely traverse the relay and infiltrate the Collector Base. Shepard succeeded in eliminating the Collector threat, saving humanity throughout the galaxy from certain destruction. After cutting ties from Cerberus and the Illusive Man, Shepard returned to the Alliance, where he was tasked by __Admiral Harkett__ to covertly infiltrate a Batarian prison on __Aratoht__ and rescue __Dr. Amanda Kenson__. Shepard learned from Kenson that the Reapers were en route to the __Bahak System__'s __Mass Relay__, the __Alpha Relay__, from which they could invade the galaxy. Shepard used "__the Project__" to destroy the relay. The entire Bahak system and its thousands of batarian inhabitants were obliterated, but the Reaper invasion was delayed._

_Six months after the destruction of the Alpha Relay, the Reapers invaded the galaxy through Batarian space and attacked Earth. Commander Shepard escaped and discovered a __Prothean__ superweapon design on __Mars__ that could end the Reapers' threat once and for all. To build this weapon and take back Earth, Commander Shepard and allies embarked on a journey to unite the various races in the midst of a galaxy-wide war. During the final confrontation with the Reapers over Earth, the Commander made a decision that changed the galaxy forever, by choosing to destroy the Reapers._

_Happy Shepard's Day!_

_**See what your friends have been saying about Shepard's Day!**_

_**Melanie Grande**__ says:_

___Yeah, sure you could __**Michael**__._

_**Michael Hart **__says:_

_ Shepard ws nthn I cd tk dat pussy anydy_

_**Keirnan Plauser**__ says:_

_ HA! PWND!_

_**Gordon Flash **__says:_

_ It's the only fuck you'll ever get __**Harry Coach**_

_**Harry Coach**__ says:_

_ FUCK SHEPARD!_

_**Sarah Clinger**__ says:_

_ As if dickwad._

_**Keirnan Plauser **__says:_

___Hy __**Sarah**__! Add me ;)_

_**Sarah Clinger **__says:_

___I hate spam..._

_**Scott Fitzgerald**__ says:_

_ Shepard's a true icon!_

_**Janine Trent**__ says:_

_ BUTCHER!_

_**Tabitha Sloane**__ says:_

_ This man was a hero! Screw you __**Harry**__!_

_**Garett X Hartley **__says:_

_ STFU __**Harry**__!_

_**Prischa Bindhi**__ says:_

_ I heard he travelled with aliens actually, __**Harry**__!_

_**Harry Coach**__ says:_

_ Who gives a damn? The guy was a fucking racist nutcase!_

_**Patricia Gilbert **__says:_

_ DO NOT READ THIS! Ten months ago, I met a man who told me that I would see a ghost of a little boy. NOW THAT YOU'VE STARTED READING THIS, DO NOT STOP! That night, I saw the ghost of a little boy, bursting into flames! He will try and burn you alive in your sleep for revenge. You must copy and paste this in 10 other posts or he will visit you tonight._

I woke up, gasping and panting. My hand flew to the sidearm on the end-table, and I held it up into the darkness, ready to fire. Nothing. Nothing was there. It was just another nightmare. I looked over to see the datapad beside me - I must have fallen asleep reading it. I glanced over at it - today was Shepard's Day.

I gasped as I put my gun back down on the table, breathing deeply as I buried my sweaty face in my hands.

I hated the nights. The nightmares and memories always came with the nights. I longed for anything - a book, a case... just anything that could distract me, or better, dull the pain.

I quickly shook off the thoughts and looked to the communicator on my end table, which began to buzz. I slapped it and saw the small static portrait of my superior...

"Yeah, hello?"

"McKniel? Where the bloody hell are you?"

"I'm in bed..."

"Well, I hope there's not a bird there because we've got a case." I nodded groggily. "I'm sorry, is that a yes?" He half-shouted.

"Yeah Chief, I'm just going to get dressed. Where is it?"

"Gozu District."

"I'll be there soon."

"Oh, don't rush - not like the lass can die again."


	2. Another Inspector

**Thank you for the attention you've been giving this story!**

Another Inspector

I got out of the cab, paying the fair on my omni-tool as I slapped the hood of the car, letting him now I was fine. The car zoomed off into the night, leaving me to walk into the Gozu District.

Ever since the Blue Suns had fought in the Reapers War two years ago, they had thinned out, relinquishing their hold on the Gozu District, which was the only reason I was able to make it to the Kokomo Plaza unscratched.

I walked through the police barriers that cordoned off the scene, where I saw my DCI, William Harrison; he was a good decade older than myself, with grizzled chops and a worn frown as his tired eyes glared over towards me.

"Oi oi, you took your time!" He called over to me. I shook my head.

"Traffic." I muttered.

"Unbelievable." He murmured as he showed me towards the corpse that lay on the ground - an Asari girl, with half of her clothes torn from her body, blood drenching the ground around her shoulder. Her eyes were full of horror, fixed to the ceiling, staring over my head. "Asara D'Ila," He informed me, "219. Stabbed to death in the shoulder from the looks of it." I leant down beside the body, examining it. He was right about the wound.

"Motive?" I asked.

"Rape?" He suggested. "Shirt's ripped off..."

"But the skirt's still there." I rubbed my chin. I reached into my leather jacket, pulling out a pair of gloves and fitting them on.

"Could've just, you know, slipped it up the skirt..." Harrison thought aloud. I held up her hand, checking her fingers.

"She's still wearing a ring..." I nodded to myself as I turned the face. "And she didn't have any earrings."

"Okay, so it's not robbery." Harrison nodded to himself. "Come on then Sherlock Holmes, who did it? Was it the butler?" I rolled my eyes as I began checking the girl's pockets. I pulled out a small credit. "Hard currency." He muttered. I bit my lip, puzzled as I stood up, examining what was left of her clothing.

"What was her job?"

"How do I bloody know?" Harrison narrowed his eyes at me. "Lewis!" He barked, making me look back at him, an eyebrow cocked. "What?"

"You should be an alarm clock..." I muttered. Eventually, the younger boy walked over to us - he had a full head of swept blonde hair, and something of a swagger as he approached us.

"What's up Chief?" He asked, tugging on his cigarette.

"What was her job?"

"Erm..." He thought for a moment, scratching his chin. "I dunno."

"You don't know?" He repeated in his loud shouting tone of voice.

"Erm..." He began stroking his ear lobe in thought. "I think she were an Asari...erm..."

"You are an utter shambles of a man, you know that Lewis?" He rubbed his wrinkled forehead. I grinned to myself at the usual insulting of Joe, who simply rolled his eyes. Before Harrison could launch another insult, I quickly stated another fact.

"She's a dancer." I told Harrison. "Looks like one from the skirt." He glanced at Joe.

"Useless." He snarled before crouching down besides me. "What's she doing with hard credits?" He asked, lowly for once. I shrugged.

"Maybe she... found it?" I said hopelessly. "I don't know - no one uses hard credits anymore." I scratched the back of my head as I checked her pockets again. "She's easily got over 5,000." I stated. He nodded.

"Prozzie." Lewis snorted at Harrison's deduction.

"Not necessarily."

We all looked over to the fourth voice - a female one. There, stood an Asari, dressed in a white blouse and a contrasting black jacket that was much more pristine than my own worn one. She walked over towards us as Harrison and I stood up. Harrison walked over to her.

"Sorry love, we don't really let lasses see things like thi-"

"Detective Sergeant Zey Mialla." She introduced herself, holding out a hand that a dazed Harrison shook.

"DCI Harrison. This is DI McKneil," He gestured towards me, "DC Lewis." Joe walked over to her with a smirk.

"Name's Joe." He said, smoothing back his hair. She nodded.

"I'll stick to DC Lewis thanks." She smiled politely. I shook my head with a grin - typical Joe, hitting on the first thing he sees with tits... well, the first living thing. "Who's the victim?" She asked me, walking over.

"Asara D'Ila, 219." Joe hastily answered her, trailing towards us. "We found hard currency on her. We thought she might be a prossie-"

"There is a possibility that she may have been a sex worker." I corrected Joe.

"True. There is room for possibility however." She said, and tilted the head, running a gloved finger along her skin. She then showed her finger to me, which was covered in glitter.

"Glitter." I nodded.

"Glitter?" Joe repeated.

"She's a dancer." Zey stated. "Or, was a dancer..."

"Should we ask how you knew to look for that?" Harrison raised an eyebrow. Zey shook her head and moved her omnitool across the cadaver. I stood up and went towards Harrison. "Something I said?" He asked earnestly. I looked back to Zey.

"Dancers don't make much here. If she was living in the Gozu District, she clearly wasn't raking this in every day." Zey nodded.

"Have we contacted the family yet?" Joe checked his omnitool.

"She lives with her mother near the clinic." I sighed.

"Alright... I'll do it." Harrison said, standing up. "McKneil." I went to walk with him. He stopped and turned back to the pair of Detectives. "For God's sake, cover her up."

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review saying what you think of it.**


	3. One for the Road

One For the Road

_Afterlife_ was the biggest club on Omega. It also happened to be the cleanest place on Omega, so I wasn't complaining about being dragged there with Harrison. The Batarians outside would growl lowly at us, multiple eyes flickering as they hocked up spit when we came near them, leaving dark snarls as we passed.

"Batarians..." Harrison muttered. "Should lock them all up."

"Why? Because of a little spit?" I asked sarcastically.

"We're the police - we need their respect."

"And we also need evidence to lock people up." Harrison grumbled.

We came towards the bouncer, a Vorcha, who put out one hand and began hissing at us. Harrison and I took out our badges.

"Detective Inspector McKneil." I introduced myself. "We're here to ask the dancers a few questions-" I was cut off by a loud hiss.

"No one sees Aria!" He claimed. I narrowed my eyes as I tucked my badge away.

"I'm not here to see Aria. Sorry sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to let us in-" I was cut off by sheer shock as Harrison grabbed the Vorcha by the neck and slammed his knee into his groin. The Vorcha groaned as Harrison threw a following fist into his face, knocking him to the floor.

"Stop wasting police time!" He shouted at the bouncer. I stood there, completely bemused by the act. He noticed my gaze. "What?"

"Do you ever tread lightly?"

"Only on weekends." He answered as he opened the door and we both entered the first floor of _Afterlife_.

Bass pounded inside my ears, thundering through my legs and into my chest. I looked over to Harrison, who's eyes were fixed to the large both overlooking the club. Holographic images of slender bodies twisted and moved in time with the bass, and I saw several characters in the club - shady types. We began moving through the club, past a large pink column, where a collection of dancers moved around. I stopped following Harrison and knelt down, running a finger along the ground - glitter. I nodded to myself, the dancer definitely came from here.

I looked up to see Harrison waiting beside the dance floor. I walked over to him.

"So, what are you thinking boyo?" I bit my lip, looking around at the dancers.

"Split up, question whether anyone knew Asara?" He rolled his eyes.

"You know, that's original police thinking right there!" He said sarcastically as he lead me over to the bar. "I thought I would have mentored you better then that!"

"You didn't mentor me-" I tried to say, but couldn't even hear myself over the music.

"The bartender always knows something in _Afterlife_!" I rolled my eyes this time.

"That's just a stereotype-"

A shorter man came towards us from behind the bar, placing a rag on the counter as he looked at us both with a cold and expressionless shallow face. I noticed his hands twitching slightly as his eyes darted across me.

"Two of the usual Danny-boy!" The bartender looked over to Harrison, who nodded reassuringly. However, the bartender still stared at me suspiciously before grabbing two glasses and pouring us both a purple-pink liquid. He kept his eyes fixed on me as he spoke to Harrison. "So, Danny... heard of anything about the club lately?" Danny leant on the bar.

"You didn't hear it from me, but apparently there's a dancer missing." He informed us both.

"Is that so Danny?" Harrison asked innocently.

"Aye. Kali knows more about it." He nodded his head to an Asari leading a man by hand to a private booth. "They was good mates, her and Asara." Harrison nodded and downed his drink in one.

"Thanks Danny. Pour one for yourself." He said, paying for the drinks with his omnitool.

"Always a pleasure Mr. Harrison."

After being pressured into downing my drink upon my own trepidation that came with Harrison's glare, we began to move towards the private booth.

"So, how'd you know him?" I asked. "You a regular?"

"He's an ex-addict." He informed me. "Would've turned into utter scum if it wasn't for me."

"I'm sure. He's a bartender in _Afterlife_..." I muttered.

"Hey!" He held out a hand and stopped me walking. "Just because your standards are hitched up higher than these girls' skirts, it doesn't mean that boy is scum!" I shook my head, knowing he had a point. "Oh, thank the Lord, he shuts up for once!"

I followed Harrison into the booth, where we saw the Asari girl, Kali, grinding against a Turian 'client's lap.

"Wait your turn!" The Turian yelled at us.

"Speaking of scum..." Harrison walked towards the man, who shoved Kali off his lap and went to blows with Harrison. Harrison blocked a punch with his forearm and then launched his fist into the Turian's jaw, kicking the knee for good measure. He then launched a fist into the Turian's face again. In a moment, the Turian lay on the floor, groaning.

"What was that for?" Kali asked angrily.

"My personal enjoyment!" Harrison snapped. "McKneil, get the door." I turned around and closed it after us, ceiling out the music. "What's your name?"

"Why would I tell a copper?" She asked sarcastically.

"Because this copper is DCI Harrison." He snarled. "What's your name?"

"Kali Trevelle." She said finally.

"Were you good friends with Asara D'Ila?"

"Never heard of her." Kali said maliciously.

I examined Kali's face - she was more aged and mature than Asara's was. However, she looked ever so slightly younger than Zey, lacking the black angular yet intricate markings that were painted on her face. Kali must've noticed me staring.

"And who are you?" I walked towards her.

"Hi Kali." I introduced myself, sitting on the couch beside her. "I want you to call me Aiden." I saw Harrison roll his eyes out of the corner of mine.

"Are you really a copper?" She asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. I paused before answering.

"It's plausible." I said finally. "When was the last time you saw Asara?"

"In my dreams." She smirked. I sighed to myself.

"When was the last time you saw Asara?" I repeated the question.

"Last night." She said eventually.

"Did she seem... worried? Or stressed?"

"Horny." Kali said simply.

"So... did she have a boyfriend that she wanted to see? Or... maybe a guy you saw her hang around with?"

"She saw lots of guys." Kali said. "Clients mostly."

"Anyone in particular? Anyone she thought might hurt her?"

"Hurt her? What are you on about-" The table in front of us was flipped over as Harrison threw it away.

"I'm done with this game!" He shouted. "How about we play Piñata? What do you think Kali?"

"I want my lawyer!"

"And I want to rid Omega of scum - I think we're at a stalemate." He growled at her. He activated his omnitool and Joe walked in.

"Joe-"

"Book her." Harrison said, walking away from her.

"What?" Kali almost screamed in surprise.

"Chief, you can't-"

"How dare you question me?" He shouted in my face. "Joe!" Joe walked past me, placing Kali's arms behind her back and cuffing her wrists together before walking away out of the back door with her in tow. I looked at Harrison.

"What charges do you have?"

"Obstruction of police justice."

"You know, back on Earth, you'd be looking at a suspension." I informed him. He came closer to me.

"A girl is dead." He reminded me. "Now, I'm trying to catch this bastard. If you want to 'tread lightly' and not step on eggshells that's _your_ decision," he poked me in the chest, "but I'm nail this scumbag if it means I have to roll a Krogan over someone's toes."

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Please review what you thought.**


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